Public Safety - State Fire Prevention Code - Trash and Recyclable Materials

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0621*

SENATE BILL 621
E4 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr2250
CF HB 848
By: Senators Watson and Salling
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – State Fire Prevention Code – Trash and Recyclable Materials 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Fire Prevention Commission to adopt regulations 3
that incorporate by reference certain provisions of the National Fire Prevention 4
Association Life Safety Code in the State Fire Prevention Code and authorize certain 5
trash and recyclable materials to be placed in certain locations in accordance with 6
the regulations; and generally relating to the State Fire Prevention Code. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Public Safety 9
Section 6–206(a) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – Public Safety 15

6–206. 16

(a) (1) (i) To protect life and property from the hazar ds of fire and 17
explosion, the Commission shall adopt comprehensive regulations as a State Fire 18
Prevention Code. 19

2 SENATE BILL 621

(ii) The State Fire Prevention Code shall comply with standard safe 1
practice as embodied in widely recognized standards of good practice for fire prevention and 2
fire protection. 3

(iii) The State Fire Prevention Code has the force and effect of law in 4
the political subdivisions of the State. 5

(2) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the 6
regulations adopted under this subsection do not apply to existing installations, plants, or 7
equipment. 8

(ii) If the Commission determines that an installation, plant, or 9
equipment is a hazard so [inimicable] HARMFUL to the public safety as to require 10
correction, the regulations adopted under this subsection apply to the installation, plant, 11
or equipment. 12

(3) REGULATIONS ADOPTED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL: 13

(I) INCORPORATE BY REFERENCE SECTIONS 30.7.5 AND 31.7.5 14
OF THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION 101 LIFE SAFETY CODE (2024 15
EDITION); AND 16

(II) PERMIT TRASH AND REC YCLING MATERIALS AWA ITING 17
SCHEDULED COLLECTION TO BE PLACED IN CORRIDORS AND EXITS IN ACCORDANCE 18
WITH THE PROVISIONS DESCRIBED IN ITEM (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 20
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 21
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 22
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 23
enacted. 24

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.